Language
Overview The Oxford English Dictionary identifies language as "The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way", as well as a "system of communication used by a particular community or country". The second definition is the one I want to focus more on, as I feel it has more of a place in WAM, especially in online communities. Definition and History The word language itself takes its root from the latin word for tongue, "lingua", which means tongue"Online Etymology Dictionary." Online Etymology Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.. Language, and the use of it, has been integral to communication since the birth of modern languages, and has been used in many forms of media since. This includes film, print, plays, poetry, among others. Language has always been crucial in multimodal media --it is in fact the medium that we communicate through. Our language--the words and phrases we choose carry connotations and "baggage" that communicate things on their own. Influential writers throughout history, from Greek poets like Homer to English scholars such as Chaucer and Shakespeare, language has been evolving on the edge of media and culture. This holds true today, as we are firmly entrenched at the digital age. Language is, as it has always been, evolving with the times, and with the new media . I think this concept of language evolving with media is critical, especially with the advent of "textspeak" and the often poor grammar and communication used online. You only have to scroll through a few Youtube comments or poorly worded Facebook posts to know this is true. Many adults, parents, and professors look at teenagers of today and mourn a day of perfect communication long since gone. In a "TIME" magazine article from a year ago, texting is considered a form of writing closer in nature to conversation than traditional longform writing . "Writing was only invented 5,500 years ago, whereas language probably traces back at least 80,000 years. Thus talking came first; writing is just an artifice that came along later... In the old days, we didn’t much write like talking because there was no mechanism to reproduce the speed of conversation. But texting and instant messaging do — and a revolution has begunMcWhorter, John. "Is Texting Killing the English Language? | TIME.com."Ideas Is Texting Killing the English Language Comments. TIME, 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. " In keeping with the speed of an actual conversation, we have sacrificed some long-held tenets of grammar. But new channels have opened up through new media, and language has morphed once again. Language is transformative with culture, and many think that the informality of language used online/in text messages "massacres" the language by shortening words and creating acronyms. But this has been happening since the dawn of language. One scholarly article by the Linguistic Society of America makes the following point: "We get new words from many different places. We borrow them from other languages (sushi, chutzpah), we create them by shortening longer words (gym from gymnasium) or by combining words (brunch from breakfast and lunch), and we make them out of proper names (Levis, fahrenheit).Birner, Betty. "Is English Changing?" Linguistic Society of America. Linguistic Society of America, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. ." Honestly, the process of "frankensteining" of the written language has been going on for centuries. This new evolution of language we're experiencing in the digital age is just another example of evolution. It isn't anything to bemoan, it is simply a change. While many people feel as though this new morphing of language is, if not beneficial, at least a new form of communication , some see it as a backwards step into stupidity and loss of structure. A USA Today College article stated that "Too often at events or parties, guests are attached to their smartphones tweeting or texting, but no one is truly engaging or interacting with the people around them. As more generations are born into the social age, social media will continue to be the favored communication form among young people. However, this shift may begin to affect their ability to properly communicate in person with peers.Fowlkes, Jasmine. "Viewpoint: Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Social Skills." USA TODAY College. USA Today, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. ." The debate between those who think the evolution of language in new media is destructive and those who think it is progressive will continue. Both seem to be right on many points: Language has always been broken apart and put back together, and this has continued into the digital age. The social consequences of this change are still being observed, but social media, and new media , is also what has caused this change. References and Further Readings Other Keywords: New Media Social Media Media Writing Rhetoric Citations Category:Keyword